Highway 1

The main “attraction” of the Big Sur country is actually Hyw 1 itself, designated a National Scenic Byway. For 80+ miles it winds around the rocks and bluffs of the coast with sheer dropoffs, sublime views and dozens of scenic bridges that seem to have been created back when the rocks and beaches were formed. We travelled back north from our campground about 25 miles to visit the village of Big Sur and a couple of the state parks that dot the coastline. We never got tired of the views from this road and made sure we took turns driving so one could gawk while the other white-knuckled the driving.
 

We stopped at a few of the more noteworthy sites along the highway. Pfeiffer State Beach is a bleak and rocky spot with windswept cypress trees and purplish sand.  We walked to the northern rocks on the cove and were surprised to see that people had been building rock piles down there, so we added a few of our own.

 McWay falls is one of the iconic sights along the coast (just try Googling "McWay Falls" for images to see about a million that people have taken before me.  I couldn't resist trying my hand because it is just too picturesque!